Director, Litigation

Location: San Francisco Perplexity AI is looking for a sharp, entrepreneurial litigation attorney to join our small legal team to help advance the business, protect the products we are building, and revolutionize the way people search and interact with the internet. This unique role offers significant responsibility, direct ownership of high stakes matters, and growth potential across an in-house practice group. This is a unique role within a rapidly growing AI technology company. You will play a key role in safeguarding Perplexity’s interests by managing litigation files and pre-litigation disputes related to our AI answer engine, models, and technologies, while helping to build and scale our litigation function. You will oversee complex disputes in a fast-moving and often unsettled legal landscape, spanning intellectual property (including copyright), privacy, commercial, and regulatory matters, and you will work closely with our AI, engineering, and product teams to assess legal risk, develop litigation strategy, and provide guidance during disputes involving our products and services. The ideal candidate combines deep substantive knowledge of litigation practice and procedure with strong business judgment and practical problem-solving abilities. You are comfortable confronting novel legal issues, including questions where the rules are still being written, and you bring intellectual curiosity about AI technology, adaptability in an emerging landscape, and exceptional collaboration skills. Success in this role requires a deep understanding of high-growth startup environments, where you will pair traditional legal expertise with sharp business risk assessment. We are seeking someone who is inquisitive, has an entrepreneurial drive, and the agility to thrive in our fast-paced environment. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Manage litigation matters and pre-litigation disputes across all phases, including strategy, pleadings, motions, discovery, depositions, hearings, trials, and appeals, while developing comprehensive case strategies that align with business objectives. - Provide counsel across a broad range of disputes, including intellectual property (copyright, trademark, and trade secret), privacy, commercial, and regulatory matters, in both first-party and third-party contexts. - Evaluate and respond to litigation threats, demands, and disputes across jurisdictions, developing appropriate matter-resolution proposals that resolve issues with minimal disruption to the business. - Select, onboard, manage, and collaborate with outside counsel across all stages of disputes. Negotiate budgets and fee arrangements, monitor performance, and hold outside counsel accountable for delivering optimal results while maintaining cost efficiency. - Partner closely with AI, product, and engineering teams to proactively identify litigation risks in product development and go-to-market strategies, and to collect information efficiently in support of active matters. Translate complex legal requirements into practical, actionable guidance for technical teams. - Assist in responding to regulatory investigations and inquiries from government regulators and private organizations relating to our products and services. - Build internal litigation processes, policies, and tools, including legal-hold and discovery workflows, that support litigation and regulatory matters efficiently and can scale with company growth. - Monitor the evolving legal and regulatory landscape for AI, copyright, and privacy; translate court decisions, agency guidance, and legislative developments into timely, executive-ready advice; and communicate with business leaders about ongoing litigation, emerging risks, and preventive measures. QUALIFICATIONS - JD and in good standing with an active US state bar membership (California preferred) - At least 15+ years of law firm and/or in-house experience handling complex commercial litigation (with experience representing emerging technology companies preferred) - Deep substantive knowledge of litigation practice and procedure, with a demonstrated history of strong outcomes and effective case execution - Exceptional analytical, organizational, and collaboration skills, strong business acumen, and the ability to partner with business and technical teams - An ability to communicate clearly and credibly with business and technical audiences, including translating genuinely unsettled legal doctrine into concise, business-relevant advice for executives and engineers without over-hedging - Hands-on attitude to tackle projects large and small, and a low-ego, roll-up-your-sleeves approach to working across the organization - Excellent composure in stressful situations, high level of integrity, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to work independently with limited guidance while exercising good judgment about when to escalate - Thrive working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment NICE TO HAVE - Experience managing copyright and privacy litigation, as well as commercial disputes, for AI or other emerging technology companies - Experience managing regulatory responses or investigations, including both first-party and third-party responses - Experience building or scaling a litigation function at a growth-stage company, with creativity and an openness to novel solutions - Experience litigating cases in multiple jurisdictions, including internationally - A passion for supporting the development of AI that is both innovative and trustworthy